Europe News

Investment across the European Union weakened in 2024, with fresh data showing a broad-based cooling in capital spending as economic momentum slowed.   According to figures published by Eurostat, gross fixed capital formation in the EU fell by 1.9 per cent compared with 2023. The measure is a central pillar of gross domestic product, tracking how much businesses and governments invest in fixed assets such as infrastructure, buildings, machinery, equipment, and research and de

As of February 20, 2026, travelers requiring a French visa are now obligated to secure their appointments exclusively through an online system, with walk-ins and informal booking channels officially discontinued. The reform applies globally and covers both short-stay Schengen visas and long-stay national visas. The shift is aimed squarely at long-standing frustrations within the visa application process, including overcrowded service counters, extended queues, and the prolife

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) has underlined the substantial export potential arising from the newly concluded free trade agreement between the European Union and India, noting that the arrangement is expected to open important new pathways for European exporters, including businesses in Cyprus.   According to the chamber, the agreement, finalised in January 2026 and anticipated to take effect in the coming years, will make India’s vast market of around 1

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a penalty order against Polymarket, instructing the cryptocurrency-based prediction platform to halt its operations in the Netherlands or face fines that could reach as much as €840,000 ($994,147).   The regulator determined that the platform had violated national regulations by making its services available to Dutch users without the required gambling licence.   According to the KSA, the company responsible f

European Central Bank and European Systemic Risk Board have jointly released a detailed analysis warning that expanding connections between traditional banks and the non-bank financial intermediation sector could create structural vulnerabilities capable of intensifying financial stress during adverse market environments. The joint publication, titled “Financial stability risks from linkages between banks and the non-bank financial intermediation sector”, concludes that while

The European Union is considering a sweeping prohibition on all cryptocurrency transactions involving Russia as part of efforts to restrict Moscow’s ability to use digital assets to bypass existing sanctions, according to a document obtained by FT. The proposed measures would specifically target efforts to prevent sanctioned Russian crypto infrastructure from re-emerging under new guises. Officials are seeking to block "copycat Russian crypto entities spun out of already sanc

Italy’s financial police have carried out a search operation targeting the offices of Triestina Calcio, a third-tier football club currently owned by U.S.-based cryptocurrency firm House of Doge. Investigators are examining allegations involving money laundering, falsified accounting records, and the use of fake invoices. The operation included searches at the club’s headquarters in Trieste, a city in northeastern Italy, as well as inspections at the private residences of 15

A 25-year-old woman from St Paul’s Bay has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to charges accusing her of scamming roughly 200 individuals by allegedly pretending to be a bank. Tammy Caruana, who informed the court that she is currently unemployed, was arraigned following a large-scale online fraud probe conducted by the Malta Police Force’s Financial Crimes Investigations Department. The investigation was carried out in collaboration with Europol as well as la